Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/115

original lease, which expired on the 25th of March (the Feast of the Annunciation), 1540, parson Kyghley attempted to re-enter upon his parsonage house and lands, but was resisted by Ketchyn, who insisted upon his right to a new lease.

Parson Kyghley now lodged a bill of complaint in the Duchy Court, in which he recites the lease of 8th April, 1535, whereby he granted and let to John Ketchyn his church and parsonage of Wigan, with all manner of lands, &c., for five years, and states that the said John Ketchyn has proceeded against him concerning a surmised lease supposed to be made, by the said Richard Kyghley, of the said parsonage, for a term of 33 years, which he, the said parson, avows that he never made, neither had the said John paid the two last half-years' rent. The said parson prays that he, the said Ketchyn, may be enforced to pay the same. In answer to this bill, John Ketchyn says that all the matter contained in the surmised bill is only for the arrears of an annual rent of the parsonage of Wigan with the profits of the same, which matter is clearly determinable at the Common Law and not in this court. He therefore demands judgment, but, if compelled to make further answer, he declares that he has pursued no untrue bill against the complainant, but a just bill grounded upon a true lease made to him of the said parsonage plainly proved by "discrete and worshipfull " deponents sworn in this court. He denies being in debt for the arrears of rent, and declares himself ready to answer anything the court may deem right. In answer to this Richard Kyghley declares that John Ketchyn and Oliver Houghton, ever since the Feast of the Annunciation, have kept him out of possession of his said parsonage house. John Ketchyn, in his cross bill of complaint, states that the parsonage of Wigan and the lands appertaining thereto were leased to him for a term of 33 years at a rent of £100, besides £6 13s. 4d. to be paid to the curate of the church, and that